Bathing garment



Jan. 6, 1942. A. SLOTOROFF I 2,268,781

BATHING GARMENT Filed Dec. 18 1940 'IIIIIIIIIIIII. "an, r!

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 6, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BATHING GARMENT Abraham Slotoroff, Brooklynt N.-Y. I Application DecemberlS, 1940, Serial No. 370,622 4 Claims. (01. 2-67) .A certain type of ladys bathing garment is provided with a brassire permanently stitched within the bust portion of the body of the garment. The purpose of the brassire is to provide additional support for the. bust of the wearer. Since, however, the brassire is permanent and non-adjustable'it often fails to accomplish its purpose. in generalto the wearer, the brassire itself may not be suited to the proportionsor to the condition of the bust of the individual and so be either too slack for adequate support of the bust or too tight for comfort; A brassire which is properly suited "to the wearer at the beginning may also become slack with use. Furthermore the brassire is, for comfort, made of softer and more flimsy material than the body of the garment so that it sometimes wears out or tears while the more substantial body remains intact and serviceable. Moreover the permanent attachment of the brassire to the garment body prevents the brassire from being laundered Separately. Sometimes purchasers, finding the garment otherwise suitable, object to the presence of the permanentbrassiere and have it ripped from the garment.

Important objects of the present invention are, to provide, in a bathing garment body and brassire combination, means for eliminating the factory releasable securement of the brassire within the bust portion of the garment; and to provide for adjustment of the brassiere to suit the needs of the wearer.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter. v

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved garment upon a wearer;

Fig. 2 is a rear view-f the garment;

Fig. 3 is'a rear view ofthe brassire and portions of the garment body upon a larger scale than Fig. 2 and with the bras'siere released from the body;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section on. the line 44 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

The invention is illustrated as embodied in a ladys bathing garment comprising a bust portion I, a girdle portion 2 stitched to the lower edge of the bust portion and a skirt portion 3 stitched to the lower edge of the girdle portion. At its upper edge the bust portion is peaked, as at 4, at points occurring directly over the breasts of the wearer. Shoulder straps. 5 are anchored to said In a garment of a given size, suited peaks and, at the back of the garment,-ar.e trained through loops 6- anchored to the rear edges of the bust portion.- The said garment portions are made of piecespf a fabric which is stretchable and elastic in one direction and the pieces are so cut and arranged as to render thegarment laterally stretchable and elastic. The-straps 5 and. the loops 6 are substantially non-stretchable.

At the inner face of the bust,- portion I there is a brassiere 1 preferably made of lighter and softer fabric than the body of the garment. 'Preferably the brassire fabric is substantially nonstretchable, or atleast materially less stretchable" than the fabric of the garment'body. The outline of the brassiere is, in general, similar to that of said bust portion and is peaked,-asat 8, within the peaks 4 of the bust portion. In the. present instance the body of the brassire is formed of four pieces or gores including central gores 9 stitched togetheralong a vertical central line It, and side gores ll stitched to the central gores along lines l2 converging downward and extending from the peaks 8 to the lower edge of the brassire. The lower edge of the brassire is on an are extending the entire lateral width of the brassiere, and an elastic strip I3 is secured to said edge along the entire length of the edge. Some reinforcement of the brassire is obtained by the seams along the lines'l2 and this reinforcement is augmented bystrips 14 of substantially inelastic tape overlying the said seams and stitched to the body of the brassire. At'their lower ends said strips are stitched to the elastic strip l3.

Between the anchored ends of the shoulder straps and the peaks 8 ofthe. brassiere and between the ends of the elastic strip l3 and the strap-training loops 6 there are releasable .and adjustable fastening connections to hold the brassire in place. Each strap is anchored to the bust portion by stitching l5 and extends inward from the stitching to form a tongue I6. A short strip of tape I! is folded around the free end of said tongue and stitched, as at 1-8. [The tape is then carried along the inner face of the tongue and stitched thereto at spaced points, as at IS. The upper end of the tape is secured to the strap by the stitching IS. The tongue, the tape and the stitching N! form a row of anchor loops 20 extending lengthwise of the strap. A hook 2| is anchored to the upper end of each peak 8 of the brassire, and each reinforcing strip 14. The hooks are selectively and releasably engageable with the anchor loops 20 for vertical adjustment of the brassire.

Each strap-training loop 6 is formed of a stout strip of fabric folded upon itself and stitched, as at 22, to define the loop. The stitching 22 also secures the loop to the bust portion I of the garment with the loop extending outward from the adjacent edge of the bust portion. A portion of the strip forming the loop extends inward from the stitching 22 and forms a tongue 23. A strip of tape 24 is folded around the free end of tongue 23 and stitched thereto, as at 25. The tape is then carried along the inner face of the tongue and stitched thereto at spaced points, as at 26. The end of the tape adjacent to the loop 6 is secured by the stitching 22. The tongue 23, the tape 24 and the stitching 26 form a row of anchor loops 21. A hook 28, similar to the hooks 2|, is anchored to each end of the elastic strip I3. These hooks are selectively and releasably engageable with the anchor loops 21.

When the garment is worn the shoulder straps 5, after being trained through the loops 6, are pulled toward each other and tied together at the back of the garment. A pull is thereby exerted upon the loops 6 and, since the loops are anchored to the elastic bottom strip I3 of the brassire by the fastening connections just described, the strip l3 will be placed under tension. At the same time, pull of the straps at their anchorages with the peaks of the bust portion, atthe front of the garment, will cause a sustaining tension to be exerted from the straps through their fastening connections with the brassire'and along the reinforcing strips M of the brassire to the lower edge strip l3. Thereby, assuming proper adjustment of the fastening connection, the brassire will be held under tension both vertically and laterally to provide a desired support of the bust of the wearer. By selective engagement of the hooks 2| with the proper loops 20 and by selective engagement of Q the hooks 28 with the proper loops 2! the brassiere may be nicely adjusted to suit the individual requirements of the wearer for bust support. Upon release of the four fastening connections the brassire may be removed from the body of the garment for separate laundering or repair or for replacement by a new brassiere.

What I claim is:

1. A lady's bathing garment having a bust portion, a pair of shoulder straps anchored to the upper edge of said bust portion at points spaced across the front of the garment, a brassire at the inner face of said bust portion and including an elastic strip along its lower edge, a pair of training loops'for said straps anchored to said bust portion at points outward of the opposite ends of said elastic strip and in substantial alignment therewith, releasable and adjustable fastening connections between the brassiere and the anchorages of said straps and each including a plurality of loops spaced in succession lengthwise of the adjacent strap and a hook borne by the brassire and releasably engageable with said loops selectively, releasable and adjustable fasstrip, the brassiere being adjustable for fitting 7 the other of said garment portions and releasit to the body of the wearer by adjustment of said connections and being removable from the garment upon release of said connections.

2. A ladys bathing garment having a bust portion, a pair of shoulder straps anchored to the upper edge of said bust portion at points spaced across the front of the garment, a brassiere at the inner face of said bust portion and including an elastic strip along its lower edge, a pair of training loops for said straps anchored to said bust portion at points outward of the opposite ends of said elastic strip and in substantial alignment therewith, releasable and adjustable fastening connections between the brassire and the anchorages of said straps and each including a plurality of loops spaced in succession lengthwise of the adjacent strap and a hook borne by the brassire and releasably engageable with said loops selectively, and releasable and adjustable fastening connections between the ends of said elastic strip and the anchorages of said loops to the bust portion and each including a plurality of loops spaced inward in succession from the adjacent training loop and a hook anchored to the elastic strip and releasably engageable with'the last-mentioned loops selectively, the brassire being adjustable for fitting it to the body of the wearer by adjustment of said connections and being removable from the garment upon release of said connections.

3. A ladys bathing garment having a bust portion, a pair of shoulder straps anchored to the upper edge of said bust portion at points spaced across the front of the garment, a brassire at the inner face. of said bust portion, a pair of training loops for said straps anchored to said bust portion at points outward of the opposite ends of the lower edge margin of said brassire and in substantialalignment with said margin, releasable and adjustable fastening connections between the brassire and the anchorages of said straps and each including a plurality of loops spaced in succession lengthwise of the adjacent strap and a hook borne by the brassire and releasably engageable with said loops selectively,

and releasable and adjustable fastening connections between the ends of said brassire margin and the anchorages of said loops to the bust portion and each including a plurality of loops spaced inward in succession from the adjacent training loop and a hook anchored to said margin and releasably engageable with the last-mentioned loops selectively, the brassire being adjustable for fitting it to. the body of the wearer by adjustment of said connections and being removable from the garment upon release of said connections.

4. A lady's bathing garment having a bust portion, a pair of shoulder straps anchored to the upper edge of said bust portion at points spaced across the front of the garment, a brassireforming portion at the inner face of said bust portion, a pair of training loops for said straps anchored to said bust portion at points outward of the opposite ends of the lower edge margin of said brassire-forming portion and in substantial alignment with said margin, releasable and adjustable fastening connections between the brassire-forming portion and the anchorages of said straps and each including a strip of flexible material borne by one of said garment portions and having a plurality of keeper recesses spaced in succession lengthwise of the adjacent strap and a fastening element borne by ably engageable with said recesses selectively, and releasable and adjustable fastening connections between the ends of said brassire margin and the anchorages of said loops to the bust portion and each including a strip of flexible material borne by one of said garment portions and having a plurality of keeper recesses spaced inward in succession from the adjacent training loop the garment upon release of said connections. ABRAHAM SLOTOROFF. 

